7 Best Space Heaters for Apartments of 2022 – Reviews & Top Picks

Last Updated on December 11, 2021

Space Heater-SMSJ-5CM9-Amazon

When choosing a space heater for an apartment, there are several things to consider. The best model will depend on the amount of space you need to heat, whether you have pets or children, and how quietly you need it to operate.

We’ve chosen seven of the most popular space heaters purchased for apartments to review for you so you can get a better feel for the type of heater you need. We’ve also included a buyer’s guide where we take an in-depth look at these heaters and discuss safety and other features that might be important to consider.

Keep reading for our detailed reviews of each brand of space-heater, where we compare heat dispersion, features, portability, and power consumption, to help you make an informed purchase.


A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites

Image Product Details
Best Overall
Winner
Aikoper Space Heater Aikoper Space Heater
  • Quiet
  • 3 heat settings
  • Large LED display
  • Best Value
    Second place
    Lasko Space Heater Lasko Space Heater
  • Portable
  • Easy to use
  • 1,500 watts
  • Premium Choice
    Third place
    Dr Infrared Space Heater Dr Infrared Space Heater
  • 6’ cord
  • 12-hour timer
  • Electronic thermostat
  • TRUSTECH Space Heater TRUSTECH Space Heater
  • Fast heat
  • Overheat protection
  • 120-degree oscillation
  • Brightown Space Heater Brightown Space Heater
  • 1,500 watts
  • Two heat settings
  • Wide heat dispersion
  • The 7 Best Space Heaters For Apartments – Reviews 2022

    1. Aikoper Space Heater – Best Overall

    Aikoper NY1507-17QR Space Heater

    Our choice for the best overall apartment space heater is the Aikoper NY1507-17QR Space Heater. This 1,500-watt radiator-style space heater has three heat settings that reduce the wattage to 900 watts on the medium setting, and 600 watts on the low. Three heat settings make it easier to find a balance between energy use and how fast your space heats. This heater features an oversized LED display for easy reading and programming. It has a 24-hour timer, and the thermostat is adjustable in one-degree increments. It makes no noise at all and is equipped with overheat and tip-over automatic shutoff for safer operation.

    Our only complaint about this space heater is that the thermostat in our unit wasn’t very accurate. If we set the radiator for 80 degrees, it would shut off around 70 degrees.

    Pros
    • Three heat settings
    • Large LED display
    • Quiet
    • Tip-over and overheat protection
    • 24-hour timer
    • 1500 watts
    Cons
    • Inaccurate thermostat

    2. Lasko Ceramic Portable Space Heater – Best Value

    Lasko 5409 Ceramic Portable Space Heater

    We believe that Lasko 5409 Ceramic Portable Space Heaters are the best space heater for apartments for the money, and so we have awarded it our best bet value. This heater has three heat settings with a maximum heating capacity of 1,500 watts. It’s small and portable and features a built-in handle. You can place it on a desktop or nightstand, and it’s easy to use without a lot of complicated controls.

    The primary downside to this budget heater is that it makes quite a bit of noise, especially as it’s heating up.

    Pros
    • 1,500 watts
    • Three heat settings
    • Portable
    • Easy to use
    Cons
    • Loud

    3. Dr Infrared Heater Portable Space Heater – Premium Choice

    Dr. Infrared Heater DR968 Portable Space Heater

    The Dr Infrared Heater DR968 Portable Space Heater is our premium choice. This high-end model is a bit expensive, but it packs in the features and works well to heat a small to medium room. It is a 1,500-watt heater and has three heat modes which include an economy mode that automatically switches between hi and low heat to help save energy. It features a 2-hour timer and has built-in tip-over and overheat protection. It has an attractive wood cabinet and a six-foot-long power cable.

    We enjoyed this heater, and it did a great job of warming up our living space. The only thing we could complain about is that the fan makes a lot of noise.

    Pros
    • 12-hour timer
    • Electronic thermostat
    • 1,500 watts
    • 6’ cord
    • Tip-over and overheat protection
    Cons
    • Expensive
    • Noisy

    4. TRUSTECH Ceramic Space Heater

    TRUSTECH Ceramic Space Heater

    The TRUSTECH Ceramic Space Heater delivers incredibly fast heat. You can feel the warmth from this machine within three seconds of switching it on. It’s a small tower-style heater that oscillates in a 120-degree arc. The oscillation will help push the heat into the room faster. It’s lightweight, portable, and has tip-over and overheat automatic shutoff.

    We didn’t like that there are no markings on the thermostat, mostly because so many other brands have temperature markings that it seems cheap. It’s also noisy while it is heating up, and the oscillation motion squeaks and makes some noise as well. The oscillator on our unit stopped working after a few weeks and we could only use it without that feature after that.

    Pros
    • Fast heat
    • 120-degree oscillation
    • Portable
    • Overheat and tip-over protection
    Cons
    • No control markings
    • Noisy
    • Oscillator

    5. Brightown Oscillating Space Heater

    Brightown Oscillating Ceramic Space Heater

    The Brightown Oscillating Ceramic Space Heater is a wide-dispersion heater that oscillates in a 70-degree arc. It has two heat settings and runs at 1,500 watts on high and 750 watts on low. This brand also has a fan-only mode so you can use it throughout the year. It’s lightweight and has a built-in handle, so it’s easy to take with you.

    We noticed that this device tends to move when it oscillates. If it’s placed unsupervised on a table-top or a desk, it could fall and get damaged. The oscillator on our unit made a loud rattling sound as it traveled back and forth until it eventually broke.

    Pros
    • Wide heat dispersion
    • 1,500 watts
    • Two heat settings
    • Portable
    Cons
    • Moves when it oscillates
    • Noisy
    • Oscillator breaks

    6. SMSJ Space Heater

    SMSJ 5CM9 Space Heater

    The SMSJ 5CM9 Space Heater features an attractive modern design. It delivers heat quickly, and you can feel it within three seconds of turning it on. It has a built-in timer that shuts the unit off after six hours, and it also has tip-over, overheat, and overcurrent safety measures in place. It has two heat settings, and you can also use it as a fan.

    While we were trying this brand out, we could appreciate how fast it gets hot. It’s small size lets you use it anywhere you need to, but the downside is it’s only suitable for one person. This heater only uses 1,000 watts, which is what many of the brands on this list use as their low setting, so you won’t be able to heat a room with it. After a short time using this heater, we noticed the smell of burning or melting plastic and found that it has an annoying tendency to tip over.

    Pros
    • Fast heat
    • 6-hour automatic shutoff
    • Overheat and tip-over protection
    Cons
    • Not very hot
    • Plastic melts
    • Falls over

    7. PELONIS Pisa Tower Portable Space Heater

    PELONIS PH-19J Pisa Tower Portable Ceramic Space Heater

    The PELONIS PH-19J Pisa Tower Portable Ceramic Space Heater is the last brand of space heaters for apartments on our list to review. This heater uses 1,500 watts and delivers almost instantaneous heat. It’s tilted back slightly to help increase heat dispersion and is equipped with tip-over and overheat protection.

    We didn’t think that this heater got as hot as many of the other 1,500-watt brands on this list. It also doesn’t radiate the heat very fr into the room despite the tilted back feature. We found ourselves getting very close to this heater to warm up. It also makes a lot of strange noises as it heats up and cools down.

    Pros
    • 1,500 watts
    • Fast heat
    • Overheat and tip-over protection
    Cons
    • Doesn’t get very hot
    • Only heats a small area
    • Noisy

    Buyer’s Guide

    These are the things we should look for when choosing a space heater for your apartment.

    Types

    Space heaters generally fall into one of three categories, which include convection, forced air, and infrared.

    Convection

    Convection space heaters often resemble a common household radiator, but they also include the type that features several glowing heating elements in front of a reflective metal plate. Convection heaters do not use fans and rely on the natural currents in the air to move the cold air over the heating elements and then out into the room.

    Radiators require less power and heat more evenly than the other types. They can also operate silently. The downside is that they heat very slowly, and most commercial units are too small to warm an entire room. Many of these heaters can burn you and might not be the best choice if you have pets or children.

    Forced Air

    Forced air space heaters are extremely popular, and most of us have at least seen one before. These heaters use a fan to draw in cool air from the room and pass it over a series of heating elements before blowing it back out into the room.

    Forced air heaters can heat a space much faster than a convection heater can, and they can usually achieve higher overall room temperature. However, this style of heater typically requires more power and are often very noisy due to the internal fan.

    Infrared

    Infrared heaters use infrared light to heat a piece of quartz inside the space heater, which warms the air around it. A fan then blows the warm air out into the room. These heaters are more efficient than other types.

    Infrared heaters closely resemble conventional forced air heaters but are usually clearly marked.

    Portable Space Heater-Lasko Ceramic-Amazon

    Power Usage

    Power consumption is going to be a critical component of any space heater that you purchase for your apartment. Most modern heaters specify how many watts they use during operation. More watts will create more heat, but will also raise your electric bill. We recommend purchasing a unit that draws 1,500 watts but has multiple heat settings that allow you to reduce the number of watts you use.

    Safety

    Safety is a significant concern with any of these units because there is always a chance of burns or fire. We recommend shopping for units that stay cool to the touch or have plenty of guards in place. Always pay attention to strange smells, and check the power cord often to make sure it isn’t getting warm. Don’t use these devices in the bathroom no matter how much you want to; electricity and water do not mix.


    Conclusion

    We hope that you have enjoyed reading over our reviews of the different space heaters for apartments. Our recommendation is the Aikoper NY1507-17QR Space Heater. This high-quality convection heater has a digital readout and plenty of safety features. It provides a good amount of heat without raising the electric bill too much. Multiple heat settings allow you to cut back on the power usage on warmer days. The Lasko 5409 Ceramic Portable Space Heaters is an excellent choice if you prefer the forced air type of heat, and this one is easy on the wallet.

    If you continue to shop around, we hope our reviews and buyers guide will provide you with a practical roadmap to navigate the different brands. If you enjoyed reading, please share these space heater reviews on Facebook and Twitter.